Creating Custom Contribution Statements In Word

While you can create and send contribution statements from within Aplos, you may prefer a different format for your donors’ contribution statements, such as a tear-off portion or a different layout for windowed envelopes. In this lesson, you will learn how to export your data and create your own statements using the provided pre-formatted Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word templates.

Before continuing, download the templates below since we will utilize these exact templates in our walkthrough.

TEMPLATES TO DOWNLOAD

Word and Excel Template Files

For best results, log in to your account in a separate window and follow along. Don’t have an account yet? Start a free trial. You will also need an up-to-date version of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.

Topics we will cover in this lesson include:

• Navigating The Excel Worksheet [1:00]
  Learn how to navigate your Excel worksheet and differentiate between the tabs within the file you’ll be using. In Excel, select the date range and the reporting you will use to generate your statements.
• Exporting Your Donations Data [3:09]
  The Donations by Household report is a list of donors and their total donations. To begin generating contribution statements, you’ll want to start with this report that will populate data later in your mail merge. (Note: Even if you plan to use donation data for individuals only, it is recommended that you use the Donations by Household report rather than the Donations by Contact report because it is formatted to match the Excel template.) Go to the Donations by Household report in Aplos.
• Exporting Your Contact List [5:42]
  Similar to your donations data, your contact data will provide the mail merge tool with the contact information needed when generating your contribution statements. Learn how to import your contact list into Excel after you have downloaded it to your computer. Go to your Contact List in Aplos.
• Preparing And Saving Your Worksheet For Mail Merge [7:00]
  Once the correct data is pasted into the Excel worksheet, prepare and save your file to begin the mail merge process in Microsoft Word.
• Mail Merge In Word [8:10]
  The contribution statement template is designed to specifically work with the provided Excel template and its pre-built mail merge fields, but it will also give you the opportunity to personalize your contribution statements.

It is recommended that you save the Word template as a new document using the “Save As” command before starting, which will keep the template intact if you need to start over. Format the template to meet your needs, and personalize the content to fit your organization’s brand and messaging. The template comes with address blocks that can be moved to fit windowed envelopes. There are two donation summary sections that will populate based on the data you entered into the Excel template. There is also a tear-off portion at the bottom of the second page.

You can move or delete mail merge fields you do not need. However, note that the name of the fields must not be altered so they will successfully merge with the provided Excel template. If you wish to provide more detailed donation data, it is recommended that you use the pre-built contribution statements within Aplos.

When ready, save your file, and then link it to your Excel worksheet to preview your mail merge. If you are experiencing any technical difficulties, or the data does not display as expected, please restart with the templated files and the tutorial video.

Notes For Mac Users

Some Mac users may get a prompt that asks if you trust the source of the file. We recommend that you say “yes” to ensure the file runs properly. If you prefer, you can say no, but it is possible the mail merge may not work.

Some Mac users may experience the notification below that Open XML for Excel wants to use information stored in your keychain. You can deny this request if you prefer since the file should work properly without it.